<![CDATA[Comments on: Weighing Yourself on the Street]]> 2010-08-29 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: user271828]]> 请问一下，

“量体重”和“称体重”有什么不同呢？

]]> 请问一下，

“量体重”和“称体重”有什么不同呢？

]]> <![CDATA[By: wilson.melinda17]]> I think they have no different.

]]> I think they have no different.

]]> <![CDATA[By: connie]]> 我们经常说，"量身高 liáng shēngāo"，"称体重 chēng tǐzhòng"。

]]> 我们经常说，"量身高 liáng shēngāo"，"称体重 chēng tǐzhòng"。

]]> <![CDATA[By: John]]> It's basically a matter of convention. 量身高 sounds natural, as does 称体重.

]]> It's basically a matter of convention. 量身高 sounds natural, as does 称体重.

]]> <![CDATA[By: zarichard61]]> Hi,nice to meet everybody!

]]> Hi,nice to meet everybody!

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> the etymology of 秤 is a little surprising. It comprises of the radical 禾...grain...no surprise there as I guess it's coming from grain being weighed on a set of scales. But yellowbridge says this is a pictophonetic character and that 平 ping is providing the sound. Somewhat different to "cheng" in my mind..but I guess some characters have different readings. Pings meaning of "level" I would have thought could have contributed to the meaning here...leveling off the scales.

]]> the etymology of 秤 is a little surprising. It comprises of the radical 禾...grain...no surprise there as I guess it's coming from grain being weighed on a set of scales. But yellowbridge says this is a pictophonetic character and that 平 ping is providing the sound. Somewhat different to "cheng" in my mind..but I guess some characters have different readings. Pings meaning of "level" I would have thought could have contributed to the meaning here...leveling off the scales.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> the etymology of the traditional form of the character 称 is 稱 and is interesting as it is an associative compound, once again with grain on the left and on the right part above you can see 爪 ..claw..or extrapolated to mean hand, and below it is holding scales. I guess 冉 has a symmetrical/balanced kind of scale like appearance..so with the hand holding it, conveys the idea of weighing. 冉 itself though seems to have several definitions none of which approximate scales...surname Ran, passing of time, tender, weak, proceed gradually...!?

]]> the etymology of the traditional form of the character 称 is 稱 and is interesting as it is an associative compound, once again with grain on the left and on the right part above you can see 爪 ..claw..or extrapolated to mean hand, and below it is holding scales. I guess 冉 has a symmetrical/balanced kind of scale like appearance..so with the hand holding it, conveys the idea of weighing. 冉 itself though seems to have several definitions none of which approximate scales...surname Ran, passing of time, tender, weak, proceed gradually...!?

]]> <![CDATA[By: bodawei]]> 在澳大利亚的城市有大街上的称,在别的地方有没有？ 

]]> 在澳大利亚的城市有大街上的称,在别的地方有没有？ 

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> 4m36s 语境=context

5m56 s..加强否定..emphasising the negative

]]> 4m36s 语境=context

5m56 s..加强否定..emphasising the negative

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> I'd like some cultural insights regarding discussing weight in Chinese society. Is the dialogue realistic for example? [with the guy being ganga/secretive about it]. Do Chinese ask each other their weight? Is there a gender difference? What about a bmi difference?

]]> I'd like some cultural insights regarding discussing weight in Chinese society. Is the dialogue realistic for example? [with the guy being ganga/secretive about it]. Do Chinese ask each other their weight? Is there a gender difference? What about a bmi difference?

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]> They used to be in the shopping centres here, but I don't recall them so much in more recent times. Also some gyms have them, and resorts.

]]> They used to be in the shopping centres here, but I don't recall them so much in more recent times. Also some gyms have them, and resorts.

]]> <![CDATA[By: socratesinsichuan]]>

This is classic. One of the great things about Chinese pod is the cultural information intermixed with the language lesson. I was already familiar with the obsession about weight. For example, if you are American, one of the first questions you will be asked in China （even before your name sometimes) is, "why are Americans so fat?" But I hadn't realized there is no real word for the concept of being overweight. Rather you are simply 胖。Hence, the debate on whether this is blunt/rude or simply, as Jenny said, "诚实。" When a friend of mine was approached at a busstop in Chengdu by a complete stranger with the remark, "you are fat," I can tell you which one he found it, although I happen to agree with Jenny on this one.

]]>

This is classic. One of the great things about Chinese pod is the cultural information intermixed with the language lesson. I was already familiar with the obsession about weight. For example, if you are American, one of the first questions you will be asked in China （even before your name sometimes) is, "why are Americans so fat?" But I hadn't realized there is no real word for the concept of being overweight. Rather you are simply 胖。Hence, the debate on whether this is blunt/rude or simply, as Jenny said, "诚实。" When a friend of mine was approached at a busstop in Chengdu by a complete stranger with the remark, "you are fat," I can tell you which one he found it, although I happen to agree with Jenny on this one.

]]> <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]>

FWIW, I've been asked by about 20 taxi drivers what country I am from, and then I said the US, then they never asked me anything else. I'm happy to hear that they ask other Americans something. Maybe with me they're surprised. Then the taxi driver would say that my Chinese was really good. If the ayi was with me, I would tell the taxi driver, my Chinese isn't good, you can ask the ayi.

I know a German here, and he would say that the conversations he used to get were:

1) Ok, Hitler's first mistake was....

2) Thanks for the BMWs, the Audis, the Volkswagens, the Porsches....

]]>

FWIW, I've been asked by about 20 taxi drivers what country I am from, and then I said the US, then they never asked me anything else. I'm happy to hear that they ask other Americans something. Maybe with me they're surprised. Then the taxi driver would say that my Chinese was really good. If the ayi was with me, I would tell the taxi driver, my Chinese isn't good, you can ask the ayi.

I know a German here, and he would say that the conversations he used to get were:

1) Ok, Hitler's first mistake was....

2) Thanks for the BMWs, the Audis, the Volkswagens, the Porsches....

]]> <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]> Oh, and when my wife was here in the 90s, and she'd end up telling the drivers that she was American, the driver would say something like, wow, what's up with Bill Clinton? And isn't this Monica girl kinda young for him?

]]> Oh, and when my wife was here in the 90s, and she'd end up telling the drivers that she was American, the driver would say something like, wow, what's up with Bill Clinton? And isn't this Monica girl kinda young for him?

]]> <![CDATA[By: lydia1981]]> 我不想知道我有多重！

]]> 我不想知道我有多重！

]]> <![CDATA[By: johanchristersson]]>

Can you use the word 量 in a situation like in our office where we measure garments to make sure they are up to specificiations? Would an example like: 我要量这件衣服 be correct?

/Johan

]]>

Can you use the word 量 in a situation like in our office where we measure garments to make sure they are up to specificiations? Would an example like: 我要量这件衣服 be correct?

/Johan

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiao_liang]]> According to my girlfriend, they just say "HEY, why are you so fat?" a lot.

Which makes my girlfriend sound fat. Which she's not.

Kinda wishing I hadn't posted this.

]]> According to my girlfriend, they just say "HEY, why are you so fat?" a lot.

Which makes my girlfriend sound fat. Which she's not.

Kinda wishing I hadn't posted this.

]]> <![CDATA[By: BEBC]]> When I first went hitchiking around Europe in the 70s most of the americans I met would eulogise Winston Churchill and be totally baffled as to why the british electorate dumped him after the war, blissfully unaware that he called the miners rats who should be forced down their holes and that his world-view was almost as right-wing as the nazis'.

]]> When I first went hitchiking around Europe in the 70s most of the americans I met would eulogise Winston Churchill and be totally baffled as to why the british electorate dumped him after the war, blissfully unaware that he called the miners rats who should be forced down their holes and that his world-view was almost as right-wing as the nazis'.

]]> <![CDATA[By: bababardwan]]>

Would I be right in guessing that this wouldn't worry/offend a Chinese woman as much as it would a Western woman? Is this changing as China's contact with western culture increases? Will it have some women demanding: bring back the Mao suits!

]]>

Would I be right in guessing that this wouldn't worry/offend a Chinese woman as much as it would a Western woman? Is this changing as China's contact with western culture increases? Will it have some women demanding: bring back the Mao suits!

]]> <![CDATA[By: pretzellogic]]> well, I wouldn't say I was blissful, but I was certainly unaware. Harder to be unaware of the British electorates feelings here in the 21st century (thank you Sputnik!). Good old BBC News is just a link away.

]]> well, I wouldn't say I was blissful, but I was certainly unaware. Harder to be unaware of the British electorates feelings here in the 21st century (thank you Sputnik!). Good old BBC News is just a link away.

]]> <![CDATA[By: kimiik]]> I think that "chèng" could also be used as a verb to mean "to weigh". Then without any measure word it could be quite confusing.

Speaking of measure word, I know that 杆 is used as measure word for the old style scale/balance (the one with a rod) : 一杆秤

But in this lesson, Jenny used 3 times 一个秤 at the end of the discussion (plus one time 一种秤). Then I guess 个 is used as measure word for the flat modern scale. A confirmation would be nice.

]]> I think that "chèng" could also be used as a verb to mean "to weigh". Then without any measure word it could be quite confusing.

Speaking of measure word, I know that 杆 is used as measure word for the old style scale/balance (the one with a rod) : 一杆秤

But in this lesson, Jenny used 3 times 一个秤 at the end of the discussion (plus one time 一种秤). Then I guess 个 is used as measure word for the flat modern scale. A confirmation would be nice.

]]> <![CDATA[By: connie]]> Correct.

]]> Correct.

]]> <![CDATA[By: kimiik]]> Here is the answer !

For a big scale/balance on the floor, the measure word is 台 (tái).

Then in this lesson "a scale" should be "一台秤".

台秤 (táichèng) is also a platform scale/balance.

Then "a platform scale" should be "一台台秤"

]]> Here is the answer !

For a big scale/balance on the floor, the measure word is 台 (tái).

Then in this lesson "a scale" should be "一台秤".

台秤 (táichèng) is also a platform scale/balance.

Then "a platform scale" should be "一台台秤"

]]> <![CDATA[By: johanchristersson]]> Thanks Connie! Funny how such a short answer actually can be so helpful. :-)

/Johan

]]> Thanks Connie! Funny how such a short answer actually can be so helpful. :-)

/Johan

]]> <![CDATA[By: sillygirl1987]]> 体重一般说“称”，身高一般说“量”

]]> 体重一般说“称”，身高一般说“量”

]]> <![CDATA[By: sararamiller]]> They said my wife become fatter which I felt happy since she is taking baby now! :D

]]> They said my wife become fatter which I felt happy since she is taking baby now! :D

]]> <![CDATA[By: candy19891128]]> “量”used for distance , "称" used for quality

]]> “量”used for distance , "称" used for quality

]]> <![CDATA[By: xiao_liang]]> Sorry, missed this! Apparently it's normal. But since she's been in England for nearly 10 years, she's become a weird english chinese hybrid so it bothers her more now :)

]]> Sorry, missed this! Apparently it's normal. But since she's been in England for nearly 10 years, she's become a weird english chinese hybrid so it bothers her more now :)

]]>